tag:,2018:blogdestructoidhttp://bulk2.destructoid.com/ele2/images/destructoid/favicon.ico2015-02-17T14:00:00Ztag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=287760Jason Faulknerhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jason+FaulknerWhat would it be like if Nintendo ran a theme park?2015-02-17T14:00:00Z2015-02-17T14:00:00Z<p>Nintendo is a company whose name is synonymous with videogames (just point at any console and ask my granny what it's called). It's produced some of the most beloved and iconic characters of the last century, and is still going strong after over 30 years in the game industry.</p>
<p>With all the hubbub lately about Nintendo's uncharacteristic forays into <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-reportedly-unveiling-mobile-strategy-this-week-269589.phtml" target="_blank">mobile apps</a>, <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/review-hyrule-warriors-280767.phtml" target="_blank">letting third parties</a> use its characters, and <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-predicted-the-amiibo-shortage-11-years-ago-287751.phtml" target="_blank">NFC figures</a>, as I was watching <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/y6j2-mlPpi0">old episodes</a> of <em>Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'? </em>I heard the phrase "Nintendo amusement park," and I was off and running.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here's how it could go down:</p>
<ul>
<li>Twelve rides are built and all of them are really popular. Four are torn down for no particular reason.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Several parks are built, all of them to open on the same day with the same rides. Instead, they open on widely varying days, with varying rides. Nintendo blames you for this and you actually feel guilty.</li>
<li>After the parks have been open several years, Nintendo builds a "new" amusement park. The tickets for the old and the new parks look exactly alike, except for a small circle in the upper right corner. If you have an old ticket, you are not allowed on certain rides. They would not tell you which rides you weren't allowed on until you were already in line.</li>
<li>The guy scalping tickets in the parking lot charges you more than Nintendo charges at the gate and you feel like you got a great deal.</li>
<li>As the years go by, no new rides are built. Every few years they get painted and renamed. Everyone talks about how great things was before the ride was changed, as they're waiting in line to get on for the third time.</li>
</ul>
<p>Wow! I hope Nintendo gets started on it soon. I'd love to see Miyamoto at the head of a parade of trumpeting Marios. Let me know what you guys think!</p> <p>
<img src="http://cdn.destructoid.com//ul/287760-nintendo land.jpg" alt="What would it be like if Nintendo ran a theme park? screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=258700Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingNintendo PR actively promoting playable female characters2013-07-25T08:00:00Z2013-07-25T08:00:00Z<p>Nintendo is generally thought to exist in its own fancy little bubble, protected from the outside world and faintly out of touch with the rest of us. However, Nintendo of America's marketing department may be a bit more savvy than we thought, and seems to have an ear to the ground when it comes to hot topics.</p>
<p>Take, for instance, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7044-The-Creepy-Cull-of-Female-Protagonists">thorny issue of female protagonists</a>. E3 in particular was a hotbed of complaints that almost all game leads were burly men being manly and burly, with only Nintendo really offering us something different. Having heard that praise, Nintendo is now actively promoting playable female characters as a selling point, starting with <em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/pikmin-3-is-so-adorably-gruesome-257903.phtml">Pikmin 3</a></em>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Jon Wahlgren <a target="_blank" href="https://instagram.com/p/cK0o63ovog/">uploaded a photo of a Nintendo press release</a>, one boasting of <em>Pikmin 3</em>'s new co-protagonist, Brittany.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"In the game players take command of three new characters," explains the promotional fluff. "Alph, Charlie, and in a first for the series, female explorer Brittany. Brittany is one of the many playable female characters in upcoming Wii U games."</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com//ul/258700-aaheader.jpg" alt="Nintendo PR actively promoting playable female characters screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/nintendo-pr-actively-promoting-playable-female-characters-258700.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=247958Alasdair Duncanhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Alasdair+DuncanProject Awakened fails to meet Kickstarter goal2013-03-06T20:30:00Z2013-03-06T20:30:00Z<p>In another reminder that Kickstarter isn't the surefire way to fund your game, the impressive-looking <em>Project Awakened</em> <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1312036782/project-awakened?ref=live" target="_blank">has failed its Kickstarter drive</a>. Developer Phosphor Games raised $338,498 of its required target of $500,000. The game's future is uncertain now but given the <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/awakened-is-a-game-that-may-very-well-be-brilliant-192797.phtml" target="_blank">trailers we've seen</a>, it would be a shame for the <em>Project Awakened</em> to totally disappear.</p>
<p>It seems for every <em><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/torment-reaches-its-kickstarter-goal-in-less-than-a-day-247943.phtml" target="_blank">Torment: Tides of Numenera</a></em><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/torment-reaches-its-kickstarter-goal-in-less-than-a-day-247943.phtml" target="_blank"></a>, there's a fresh new IP that fails to&nbsp;succeed&nbsp;in its bid for funding. Whilst crowdfunding has helped titles like <em><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/you-don-t-say-akaneiro-funded-on-kickstarter-244037.phtml" target="_blank">Akaneiro</a></em> and <em><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/skullgirls-squigly-dlc-is-already-funded-247052.phtml" target="_blank">Skullgirls</a></em>, there's a feeling that backers aren't prepared to put money into a project that doesn't at least have a recognized developer or IP involved. Hopefully that will change and crowdfunding will help get more new and fresh videogames made.</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com//ul/247958-awake1.jpg" alt="Project Awakened fails to meet Kickstarter goal screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=244359Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingAnonymous Rayman Legends dev angry about delay (Update)2013-02-08T08:30:00Z2013-02-08T08:30:00Z<p>[<strong>Update: </strong><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Anonymous no more! It appears that this comment comes from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=512249">Xavier Piox</a>, the Ubisoft managing director who recently said that "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/ubisoft-gaming-is-no-longer-for-geeks-244186.phtml">gaming is no longer just for geeks</a>."</span> Errr... guess not. It's just a random dev who left the team at the end of January following completion of the project.]</p>
<p><em><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/demo-jimpressions-rayman-legends-240524.phtml" target="_blank">Rayman Legends</a></em> coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 is good news, but Ubisoft didn't get the praise it hoped for when it revealed a multiplatform release was coming at the expense of the Wii U's release date. Gamers were livid over <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/rayman-legends-delayed-to-september-goes-multi-platform-244263.phtml" target="_blank">the new September date</a>, and many <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/-fans-furious-over-rayman-legends-ps3-360-news-244281.phtml" target="_blank">called for a boycott</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The trouble with boycotts is, however, they rarely ever punish the publisher. The developer, who has no say over when the game releases, is the one for the chopping block should <em>Legends</em> fail, while Ubisoft writes off the series and entrenches itself further in content guaranteed to sell. It's often hard to remember the studios when we go after the companies they're beholden to.&nbsp;</p>
<p>One anonymous <em>Rayman Legends</em> developer hoped to bring that perspective to the discussion, and took to a <a href="https://www.elotrolado.net/hilo_ho-rayman-legends_1778079_s740" target="_blank">Spanish message board</a> to vent frustration over Ubisoft's decision and remind us it wasn't the studio's idea. The post <a target="_blank" href="https://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=47447211&amp;postcount=2201">was translated by NeoGAF</a> for the English-speaking world. If you think you're mad, he says, imagine how those who worked on it feel.&nbsp;</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com//ul/244359-aaheader.jpg" alt="Anonymous Rayman Legends dev angry about delay (Update) screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/anonymous-rayman-legends-dev-angry-about-delay-update--244359.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=243066Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingObjectify A Male Tech Writer Day [Update]2013-01-28T08:00:00Z2013-01-28T08:00:00Z<p>[<strong>Update:</strong> Leigh Alexander has <a href="https://sexyvideogameland.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/no-more-objectification.html" target="_blank">decided to call off the event</a>, following an examination of potential risks. It's been proposed that the event alienates those who do not neatly fit into the straight male and straight female dynamic, not to mention potentially distressing those for whom the subject of objectification is no laughing matter.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"<span>What I wanted to encourage through humor was caring, empathy and a willingness to listen and educate -- now I've been asked to change course, and by calling a halt to #Objectify I hope I'm modeling those same qualities myself," explained Alexander.</span></p>
<p><span>With so many people who are sure to be smug dicks about this, it took some guts to call the event off, so major respect due. For the record, I will still be demanding Holmes put on his mesh tank top.]</span></p>
<p>On February 1, everybody involved in the tech industry -- including gadgets, computing, and videogames -- is being encouraged to objectify male writers in a bid to demonstrate what it's like to never be recognized for your work before your looks. Whenever you share a link from a male writer that day, be sure to mention how they have great hair, or pretty eyes, or that you want to bang them.</p>
<p>The event was put together by omnipresent writer Leigh Alexander and her friend Ben Abraham. They wanted a fun way to generate discussion about the outwardly harmless objectification that occurs whenever an audience seems unable to talk about a female writer's latest published article without first making sure everybody knows they're attractive -- or unattractive, as the case may be.</p>
<p>"The purpose isn't to show men what it feels like to be objectified, but to catalyze exactly these kinds of conversations and begin a fun, non-hostile dialogue on how irrelevant gendered compliments are to people's achievements," explained Leigh on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/502822209768664/503793603004858" target="_blank">the event's Facebook page</a>. "Hopefully the net effect will be that next time, before someone comments on a woman's work with a superficial compliment, they remember she's a person who'd like to be recognized for her work."</p>
<p>Rarely, when a male writer's work is linked on a blog or social network, does his appearance come up. Not that it <em>doesn't</em> happen -- my own fatty-fatness seems to be more important to some commenters than my actual writing -- but I can certainly attest to seeing the words of my non-male writing friends inextricably linked to their physicality. Even when that link is <em>complimentary</em>, it's still an objectifying thing.</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com//ul/243066-aheader.jpg" alt="Objectify A Male Tech Writer Day [Update] screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/objectify-a-male-tech-writer-day-update--243066.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=243058Stephen Beirnehttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Stephen+BeirneCombating hidden sexism with Objectify A Man Day2013-01-25T16:00:00Z2013-01-25T16:00:00Z<p>For men to compliment women is far more common than for the reverse to happen. It&rsquo;s one of those socialized traits people barely notice unless they&rsquo;re particularly alerted, what with it being so widespread as to be ubiquitous. Unsurprisingly, the majority of compliments directed towards women tend to praise appearance as opposed to ability or personality. The overall effect is one that can breed frustration in recipients as it reinforces harmful gender roles.<br /><br />It is on this basis that Leigh Alexander and Ben Abraham have organised <a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/objectify-a-male-tech-writer-day-my-new-favorite-holiday-243066.phtml">Objectify A Male Tech Writer Day</a> (or simply Objectify A Man Day). On February 1, participants will see to their Twitters and Facebooks as per usual, with the caveat that anything they link which is authored by a man will be supplemented with a needless compliment on the chap&rsquo;s appearance. With the hashtag of #Objectify, the goal is to raise awareness of how well-intentioned remarks can nevertheless make you feel undermined and patronized.</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com//ul/243058-objectifyamandayheader.jpg" alt="Combating hidden sexism with Objectify A Man Day screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/combating-hidden-sexism-with-objectify-a-man-day-243058.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=239385Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingTwitter reveals why there aren't many women in videogames2012-11-27T10:30:00Z2012-11-27T10:30:00Z<p>Women in the game industry are currently revealing some of the crap they have to put up with in the videogame industry, using the <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%231reasonwhy&amp;src=hash">#1ReasonWhy</a> hashtag to explain why there aren't as many women in the business as there ought to be.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"I had to make my own game in order to see someone like me as a main character," explained <a href="https://twitter.com/xMattieBrice" target="_blank">Mattie Brice</a>, also adding, "<span>Men write about sexism and get praise, and I silenced and degraded for writing the same thing a week, month, year before."</span></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/heyashwp" target="_blank">Ashly Burch</a> revealed, "I am confronted with rape or violence in the comments section of <em>Hey Ash</em> videos," while writer <a href="https://twitter.com/rhipratchett" target="_blank"><span>Rhianna Pratchett</span></a> offered, "<span>Creating appropriately dressed female characters is viewed as a rarity, rather than the norm."</span></p>
<p><span>"Men like me are badasses, so cool and hilarious. I'm a disrespectful loud-mouthed bitch," said former Destructoid writer <a href="https://twitter.com/leighalexander" target="_blank">Leigh Alexander</a>, while <a href="https://twitter.com/sweetpavement" target="_blank">Rowan Cota</a> wrote, "<span>If I succeed, I'm exceptional. And if I fail, I'm proof that women shouldn't be in the industry."</span></span></p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com//ul/239385-spd twitter 1reasonwhy.jpg" alt="Twitter reveals why there aren't many women in videogames screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/twitter-reveals-why-there-aren-t-many-women-in-videogames-239385.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=237619Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingFrom a bag of Doritos to a bag of dirty laundry2012-10-29T16:30:00Z2012-10-29T16:30:00Z<p>Who knew that a picture of a man sat next to a bag of Doritos could snowball into anger, humiliation, and intrigue? The most startling thing about this industry is that the biggest of avalanches can erupt from the humblest of places, and so it is that an image of Geoff Keighley sparked a massive controversy.&nbsp;</p>
<p>After viewing the above image, which was earning many laughs as it spread across the usual social networking sites, British writer and comedian Robert Florence penned a piece for Eurogamer, using it as the launch pad for an earnest critique of the videogame press. He particularly assaulted the Game Media Awards, a PR-sponsored event that praised and rewarded the sponsor's favorite videogame "journalists."</p>
<p>In particular, he mentioned Lauren Wainwright, a writer for MCV and a Destructoid graduate.&nbsp;</p> <p>
<img src="http://www.destructoid.com//ul/237619-keighley.jpg" alt="From a bag of Doritos to a bag of dirty laundry screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/from-a-bag-of-doritos-to-a-bag-of-dirty-laundry-237619.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=226940Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingEx-EA man says traditional consoles are under pressure2012-05-04T10:30:00Z2012-05-04T10:30:00Z<p>Former Electronic Arts and Xbox Live bigwig John Schappert has joined the growing band of rebels who believe traditional console gaming is in a risky position. With social and mobile games encroaching on their territory, Schappert believes only a few companies can survive by doing things the old fashioned way.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"<span>Traditional gaming is under a little bit of pressure," he argued. "<span>If those businesses are not ready and want to live in the traditional world, they can. It's just there's only going to be a few big games a year. If you're one of those games, more power to you. If you're not, it's going to be tough.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>"Big console games take years to make. They need massive budgets and you have to hope the bet you started three years ago pays out. If it doesn't, it's a game changer for you. And not in a good way.&nbsp;<span>That's a really, really tough business. Is there still a market for it? Absolutely. But look at film versus TV. What do we watch more of these days? I think the social gaming world and the mobile gaming business captured the same magic which is why we're doing well these days."</span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span>It seems <a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/firefall-dev-says-game-consoles-are-broken-and-dead--226888.phtml">more and more folk</a> are coming <a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/timesplitters-dev-first-person-shooters-make-no-money-226893.phtml">out the woodwork</a> to point out how broken and dangerous the traditional business model is, and I think that's a good thing. The less power held by old fashioned publishers, the better. I used to hate the idea of the industry moving away from the traditional business models, but now I'm somewhat impatient for it.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/schappert-social-and-mobile-games-are-harming-console-biz/095445">Schappert: "Social and mobile games ARE harming console biz"</a> [MCV]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/226940-header.jpg" alt="Ex-EA man says traditional consoles are under pressure screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=226888Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingFirefall dev says game consoles are 'broken' and 'dead'2012-05-03T10:30:00Z2012-05-03T10:30:00Z<p>Game designer and Red 5 boss Mark Kern is ready to kick the footstool from under the feet of modern videogame consoles and let them dangle. According to the man heading up <em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/hands-on-firefall-209992.phtml">Firefall</a></em>, the business models keeping the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii going are doomed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"It takes billions of dollars of investment to create a console and then you have to milk it for five to seven years in order to get your money back. I think the model is broken," Kern claimed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-02-firefall-developer-consoles-i-believe-are-dead">Eurogamer</a>. "You keep making these bigger and bigger bets and what that forces you to do is play it safer and safer. And if you play it safer and safer with your gameplay, people will get tired of the crap you're serving. When that happens, they get bored and they will leave. And you haven't fostered any of the middle ground innovation and new ideas that you need to tap into next.</p>
<p>"So something has to change. Consoles, I believe, are dead."</p>
<p>He went on to say that big boxed games are becoming obsolete as developers realize they don't need a distributor, that games should be sold based on their ideas and gameplay rather than their franchise names, and that studios suffering so many layoffs is not an example of a normal, healthy business. Essentially, he is saying everything I love to see someone saying, and I want to marry this man.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The only thing I disagree with is the definitive idea that consoles are<em> currently</em> dead. I think they'll keep kicking for a while yet, but I agree wholeheartedly that big changes are going to have to happen, because this industry makes very little sense as it exists today.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/226888-header.jpg" alt="Firefall dev says game consoles are 'broken' and 'dead' screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=224755Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingChild molester caught red-handed thanks to DSi camera2012-03-29T13:00:00Z2012-03-29T13:00:00Z<p>A 46-year-old British man may have gotten away with molesting a child, had the victim not been quick-witted enough to catch his criminal act on her DSi camera. Thanks to a 10-year-old girl and her game system, pedophile John Fisher is now enjoying life behind bars.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The man had no room to wheedle out of a sentence with the damning action caught on camera, and admitted to touching the girl inappropriately. He now gets to spend three-and-a-half years in jail, and probably won't have a very nice life after that.</p>
<p><span>"She was brave enough to come forward and report the incident and give us a full and accurate account of what had gone on," said <span>Detective Constable Annabelle Bunn</span>. "Although Fisher initially denied assaulting her, when confronted with the image he had no choice but to concede he had done exactly as she had reported."</span></p>
<p>With kids getting access to more and more technologically advanced "toys," they're nicely armed to catch these clueless pricks in the act. Fisher's charge comes just weeks after a priest was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/priest-sells-ds-forgets-there-s-child-porn-on-it-224340.phtml">caught with child porn</a> on his DS, too. Nice to know that there's <em>some</em> advantages to out-of-touch old men who remain clueless about gaming's advancements. &nbsp;</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/03/28/Molester-caught-on-video-game-sentenced/UPI-58381332978162/">Molester, caught on video game, sentenced</a> [UPI, via <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&amp;id=174567">GoNintendo</a>]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/224755-header.jpg" alt="Child molester caught red-handed thanks to DSi camera screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=223381Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingWill the PS4 be capable of visuals like this? 2012-03-07T14:30:00Z2012-03-07T14:30:00Z<p>British magazine <em>PSM3</em> is boasting images of alleged next-gen tech, giving us a glimpse of what the PlayStation 4 may be capable of rendering. The images shown are a richly detailed jungle environment, and a realistic close shot of a ladybug.&nbsp;</p>
<p>These pictures were created using technology that's said to "closely resemble" the rumored specs of the PS4. Recent gossip suggests Sony will abandon the cell chip and work with AMD to create a powerful graphics processor, taking home consoles one step closer to becoming glorified PCs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The images are impressive, and not too far ahead of what the PC can currently do, making them a bit more believable than Sony's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/guerrilla-owns-up-to-infamous-killzone-2-e3-trailer-174513.phtml">notorious <em>Killzone 2</em> trailer</a> from years ago. Still, one must always take these graphical boasts with a grain of salt. Now is the time for wild speculation and overexcited estimations.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Check out the screens, by all means, but always remember to believe it only when you see it in the flesh.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.computerandvideogames.com/338909/features/is-this-what-playstation-4-and-xbox-720-games-will-look-like/">Is this what PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 games will look like?</a> [CVG]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/223381-header.jpg" alt="Will the PS4 be capable of visuals like this? screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/will-the-ps4-be-capable-of-visuals-like-this--223381.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=218181Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingThe Jimquisition: Taking Videogames Seriously2011-12-19T15:00:00Z2011-12-19T15:00:00Z<p><span><div style='width:620px;font-size: 12px;'><embed src="https://cdn2.themis-media.com/media/global/movies/player/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.7.swf" flashvars="config=https://www.themis-media.com/videos/config/5139-14c4a6d49e4f64ab44821fda444276b5.js%3Fplayer_version%3D2.5%26embed%3D1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="https://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="620" height="376" wmode="opaque"></embed><div><a href='https://www.escapistmagazine.com'>The Escapist</a> : <a href='https://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition'>Jimquisition</a> : <a href='/videos/view/jimquisition/5139-Taking-Videogames-Seriously'>Taking Videogames Seriously</a></div></div></span></p>
<p><span><span>When will games be taken seriously? Why isn't anybody taking videogames seriously? How many times can Jim say the word "seriously" in a single video? Does any of it matter? No. None of it. Ever.</span><br /></span></p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/218181-jqheader.jpg" alt="The Jimquisition: Taking Videogames Seriously screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=217545Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingRed Cross wants to see FPS games respect the laws of war2011-12-09T10:00:00Z2011-12-09T10:00:00Z<p>The&nbsp;&nbsp;International Committee of the Red Cross recently caused a stir by implying that military first-person-shooters like <em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/review-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-wii--215804.phtml">Call of Duty</a></em> and <em><a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/review-battlefield-3-214537.phtml">Battlefield</a></em> might (fictionally) break international armed conflict laws with its hyper-realistic depictions of violence. In <a target="_blank" href="https://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/faq/ihl-video-games-faq-2011-12-08.htm#.TuDvryV_MfA.twitter">a new FAQ on its site</a>, the ICRC said games have the potential to raise awareness of humanitarian law, and it would like to see them rise to that challenge.</p>
<p>"In real life, armed forces are subject to the laws of armed conflict," said the organization. "Video games simulating the experience of armed forces therefore have the potential to raise awareness of the rules that those forces must comply with whenever they engage in armed conflict -- this is one of the things that interests the ICRC. As a matter of fact, certain video games already take into account how real-life military personnel are trained to behave in conflict situations.</p>
<p>"...&nbsp;The ICRC has expressed its readiness to engage in a dialogue with the video gaming industry in order to explore the place of humanitarian rules in games. The ICRC welcomes the fact that certain video games on war-related themes already take the law of armed conflict into account."</p>
<p>While some were worried that the ICRC wanted to have games tried for war crimes, its actual concerns are legitimately interesting. I'd love to see it working with developers to create a game about this very subject. It'd definitely add a new element to the "military FPS" genre.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/217545-header.jpg" alt="Red Cross wants to see FPS games respect the laws of war screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=215117Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingSteve Jobs, iOS voted biggest influence on game industry2011-11-03T11:45:00Z2011-11-03T11:45:00Z<p>According to a survey completed by over 1,000 professionals at the&nbsp;London Games Conference, <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/the-jimquisition-steve-jobs-and-ios-game-related-213879.phtml" target="_blank">Steve Jobs</a> is considered the most influential person in the videogame industry, with the iPhone providing the most significant gaming device.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Jobs got 26% of the vote, followed by Valve honcho Gabe Newell (16%) and Nintendo's design elf Shigeru Miyamoto (7%). As far as products and services, the iPhone came out on top with 17%, followed by the Wii (7%). Xbox Live and the original PlayStation sat at 3% each.&nbsp;</p>
<p>46% of the industry members named Jobs in their top five personal influences, while 53% of them named the iPhone as a top five influential product.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There is no denying at this point that iOS is a huge force in the games industry, and stuff like this goes to show that the industry has embraced the fact. I dare say that gamers themselves will need to learn to accept Apple as well, because the company is not going to just disappear.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-02-games-industry-votes-apple-as-biggest-influence" target="_blank">Games industry votes Apple as biggest influence</a> [Eurogamer]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/215117-header.jpg" alt="Steve Jobs, iOS voted biggest influence on game industry screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=210654Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingThe Jimquisition: The Beautiful Irony of PC Gaming2011-09-05T15:00:00Z2011-09-05T15:00:00Z<p><div style='width:650px;font-size: 12px;'><embed src="https://cdn2.themis-media.com/media/global/movies/player/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.7.swf" flashvars="config=https://www.themis-media.com/videos/config/4131-0b3eff6aabe38a06444de4fa9fbf0a6c.js%3Fplayer_version%3D2.5%26embed%3D1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="https://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="650" height="391" wmode="opaque"></embed><div><a href='https://www.escapistmagazine.com'>The Escapist</a> : <a href='https://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition'>Jimquisition</a> : <a href='https://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/4131-The-Beautiful-Irony-of-PC-Gaming'>The Beautiful Irony of PC Gaming</a></div></div></p>
<p>Beauty is only skin deep, and a pretty face can only go so far. Fortunately, I am both beautiful <em>and</em> wise, so I'm basically the perfect lifeform. In a way, I consider myself to be very much like PC gaming -- visually stunning on the surface, but with a depth that only a blessed few are smart enough to appreciate.</p>
<p>This week's <a href="https://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/4131-The-Beautiful-Irony-of-PC-Gaming" target="_blank">Jimquisition</a> is about beauty, and how it relates to the world of computer games. Or rather, how it <em>doesn't</em>. Oh, how ironic. Or something.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/210654-jimbanner.jpg" alt="The Jimquisition: The Beautiful Irony of PC Gaming screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=208430Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingParents in 1991 got mad about having to buy the SNES2011-08-10T14:15:00Z2011-08-10T14:15:00Z<p><!-- jEmbed JS API-->
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<p>These days, the march of new technology is inevitable. Early adopters of the 3DS know that a 3DS Lite is going to be launched one day. We buy Xbox 360s and PS3s knowing that, in a matter of years, hotter, more powerful ones will come. Apple releases an iPhone every two weeks. It wasn't <em>always</em> like that, and we weren't always so accepting.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A Youtube user has uploaded a news report from 1991, where parents are outraged over the release of the Super Nintendo. They call it "exploitative" because they already have an NES and don't need a new one being marketed to their kids. It's pretty fascinating to watch and consider where we are now, with new console iterations becoming the norm.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Even if that doesn't interest you, it's cute to watch the news reporter struggle to sound like he knows what's talking about, as well as the amusingly revealing <em>Super Mario World</em> spoiler.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/208430-headers.jpg" alt="Parents in 1991 got mad about having to buy the SNES screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=207622Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingGrandia Creator Takeshi Miyaji dies aged 452011-08-01T11:45:00Z2011-08-01T11:45:00Z<p>Takeshi Miyaji, creator of legendary PSOne/Saturn RPG <em>Grandia</em>, has died at the age of 45. The announcement comes by way of&nbsp;G-Mode, the studio he founded and ran as CEO.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Miyaji worked on <em>Grandia</em>, <em>Silpheed</em> and<em> Gungriffon</em>, titles considered cult classics by those who have played them. <em>Grandia</em>, of course, was significantly influential and is still considered by many to be one of the best Japanese roleplaying games of all time.&nbsp;</p>
<p>G-Mode did not state a reason for Miyaji's incredibly untimely death.&nbsp;Ryu Okoriyama will replace him as G-Mode CEO.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2011/08/01/miyaji_death/?utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_source=twitterfeed" target="_blank">Grandia Creator Takeshi Miyaji Dead at 45</a> [andriasang]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/207622-header.jpg" alt="Grandia Creator Takeshi Miyaji dies aged 45 screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=205825Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingThe Jimquisition: Linearity versus Replayability2011-07-11T16:45:00Z2011-07-11T16:45:00Z<p><embed src="https://cdn2.themis-media.com/media/global/movies/player/flowplayer.commercial-3.2.7.swf" flashvars="config=https://www.themis-media.com/videos/config/3677-09df074baa117fed4b223e04bb966276.js%3Fplayer_version%3D2.5%26embed%3D1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="https://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="620" height="381" wmode="opaque"></embed></p>
<p>As online multiplayer and extra, post-game content as become the norm, people seem to have forgotten exactly what makes a game worth coming back to again and again. A "linear" game, without extra modes, is considered bargain bin fodder now and I think that is wrong.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/3677-Linearity-versus-Replayability" target="_blank">The Jimquisition</a>, of course, shall set things right. It literally saves lives, remember.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/205825-jimbanner.jpg" alt="The Jimquisition: Linearity versus Replayability screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=201977Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingCliffy B wants dynamic difficulty for returning gamers2011-05-25T11:40:00Z2011-05-25T11:40:00Z<p>We spotted Epic's Cliff Bleszinski proposing a new method of scaling difficulty for returning gamers last night. The basic idea is that a game lowers the challenge if someone hasn't played a title in a while, allowing them to ease back into the game.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"Games should detect if you haven't played for a bit and then soften the difficulty a smidge upon return," he said. "Then ramp it back up slightly. Most games assume you're resuming moments later when your skills might not be as 'warm.' I've fired up a few games that I'm late in after not playing for a while and gotten creamed.</p>
<p>"And no we don't have this in [<i><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/beta-test-gears-of-war-3-198902.phtml" target="_blank">Gears 3</a></i>]. But I want to experiment with it in the future."</p>
<p>It's an interesting idea, especially for those games where you cannot switch the difficulty halfway through a campaign. So long as such "dynamic difficulty" can be switched off in the options, I think it's a pretty neat plan. The concept of dynamically scaling difficulty is nothing new (see: <i>Rise of the Robots</i>), but this is a fresh way of implementing it. Can anyone think of a game that did this?</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/73176209785237504" target="_blank">@TheRealCliffyB</a> [Twitter]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/201977-header.jpg" alt="Cliffy B wants dynamic difficulty for returning gamers screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=196368Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingDavid Jaffe criticizes media praise for 'art' games2011-03-14T11:00:00Z2011-03-14T11:00:00Z<p>David Jaffe, <a target="_blank" href="https://criminalcrackdown.blogspot.com/2010/02/go-destructoid.html">ever a man after my own heart</a>, has slammed the praise that people pour on "art" games. He claims that most art games aren't as compelling as people pretend, and focusing on them only serves to devalue the medium.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"Just because there's wind blowing and a minimal soundtrack and vast open spaces to explore and a slow pace doesn't mean that the game you are playing is art," <a target="_blank" href="https://criminalcrackdown.blogspot.com/2011/03/shit-or-get-off-pot.html">he wrote</a>.&nbsp;"Shining the powerful media light on these sorts of games -- that tell you they are important but are not really all that engaging/interesting play wise and are nowhere near as emotional or meaningful as most B-rate, night time dramas on network television -- means that the media light and publisher cash gets taken away from traditional games.</p>
<p>"... Traditional games are disrespected, devalued, and shown a lack of appreciation, understanding, and love for the very things the medium does so well, so effortlessly, and so successfully."</p>
<p>I want to buy David Jaffe the biggest damn beer after this. While I am interested in seeing videogames "grow up" and do more interesting things, I don't feel it should be done at the expense of fun and I <i>certainly</i> don't feel that most of the "art" games we currently have are worth the praise they get. Falling for&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/tale-of-tales-the-path-costs-10-and-a-lot-of-patience-125579.phtml">pompous&nbsp;vagueness</a> or a script that would get <a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/review-heavy-rain-163165.phtml">laughed out of a movie theater</a> only exposes how infantile this medium really is.</p>
<p>As David Jaffe says, it's "smoke-and-mirrors bullshit" and I'm glad some people can see that.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/196368-header.jpg" alt="David Jaffe criticizes media praise for 'art' games screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=194229Maurice Tanhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Maurice+TanGTA veteran Navid Khonsari talks about '1979 Iran' game2011-02-16T12:40:00Z2011-02-16T12:40:00Z<p><!-- jEmbed JS API-->
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<p>Iranian-born Navid Khonsari -- voice actor, co-director and writer for <a target="_blank" href="https://gta.wikia.com/Navid_Khonsari">PS2-era GTAs</a> -- is working on a new game centered around the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Specifically, the happenings surrounding the U.S. embassy hostage crisis.</p>
<p>In an interview with a Russia Today lady whose hairdresser lives in the 90s, Khonsari doesn't go into much detail about the gameplay, but instead focuses on how there are not really good or bad guys in a conflict situation like this. He sees it as something that depends on the perspective of the people involved, the context surrounding it, and the way a situation can cause people to become swept up in it.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/194229-1979.jpg" alt="GTA veteran Navid Khonsari talks about '1979 Iran' game screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/gta-veteran-navid-khonsari-talks-about-1979-iran-game-194229.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=193526Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingHigh Voltage: Preposterous to demand games sell a million2011-02-08T10:20:00Z2011-02-08T10:20:00Z<p><i><a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/review-the-conduit-138639.phtml">Conduit</a></i> and <i><a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/e3-09-the-grinder-is-the-wii-s-left-4-dead-134704.phtml">The Grinder</a> </i>developer High Voltage has criticized the prevailing attitude that videogames need to sell over a million in order to be considered a success, calling such a believe "preposterous" and declaring that the industry wouldn't survive if such a believe were true.</p>
<p>&ldquo;People look at it and they say, if it&rsquo;s not a million unit seller it&rsquo;s a flop. That&rsquo;s preposterous,&rdquo; said CEO Eric Nofsinger. &ldquo;If that really were the minimum bar for a success, the game industry would be gone in under a year.&nbsp;There are thousands of games released that don&rsquo;t sell a million units. There are like ten games a year that sell over a million units. But if you can sell a few hundred thousand copies -- 300, 400 thousand copies, which is in the range that we did -- we made money off that. We did well.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If it costs you less to make than you end up making off the thing, you make profit. As long as the profit margin is strong enough, then you get enough of a return and you can make another.&nbsp;If we sold the exact same number of units [of <i><a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/preview-conduit-2-193033.phtml">Conduit 2</a></i>] as we sold with <i>Conduit 1</i>, we&rsquo;d be&nbsp;high-fiving each other. But I think we&rsquo;ll do better.&rdquo;</p>
<p>So there you go. Next time you say a Wii game has "flopped", check out how much it cost to make. It may have been more successful than you think.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-07-1m-game-sales-benchmark-preposterous" target="_blank">1 million sales benchmark "preposterous</a> [Eurogamer]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/193526-header.jpg" alt="High Voltage: Preposterous to demand games sell a million screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=192797Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingAwakened is a game that may very well be brilliant2011-01-29T10:00:00Z2011-01-29T10:00:00Z<p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/js/swfobject.js"></script>
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<p>There once was a game called <i><a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/cool-concept-art-from-former-midway-artist-190704.phtml">Hero</a></i>, a Midway project about customizable superheroes that looked incredibly promising, but was sunk when the publisher collapsed. Many of the game's developers have banded together under the name Phosphor, however, to finish what they started -- now we have <i>Awakened</i>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The concept trailer is incredibly rough around the edges, but as an<i> idea</i>, I see a lot of good. The range of powers shown, and the potential for the game's rather depressing world, could seriously make for a brilliant title. The last part of that trailer gives a clue as to the awesome power you might be able to command, and I'm very excited about it.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Open-world superhero games are still a somewhat small niche, despite a number of high profile entries. <i>Awakened</i> could very possibly be one of the most open-ended and personalized experiences of the sub-genre, provided they get the money and time to truly create a polished, tight game.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I definitely wish Phosphor all the best in this endeavor, and hope it finds a decent publisher. I want this game to be very, very good.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/192797-header.jpg" alt="Awakened is a game that may very well be brilliant screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=191574Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingArc sees no East/West divide, only 'gamers'2011-01-13T13:40:00Z2011-01-13T13:40:00Z<p>With so much talk of Western vs. Eastern games and Japanese developers trying to "appeal" to the West, <i><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/review-blazblue-calamity-trigger-140383.phtml" target="_blank">Blazblue</a> </i>creator Arc System Works prefers to see the world as one big ball, and we gamers as a single mass rather than two distinct halves.</p>
<p>"Personally, I don&rsquo;t view users according to their nationality, but rather as gamers," explains director Takeshi Yamanaka I make games for people who like them. "If there are people who like fighting games with Japanese-animation-style motions and a fantasy setting, I&rsquo;m making the game for them.</p>
<p>"I don&rsquo;t understand why some of us in the industry want to draw a line between the Japanese and overseas industries. I see only gamers, with various tastes."</p>
<p>While I think there are certain national stereotype that we all justify, it's still a healthy attitude for Yamanaka to have. We claim that "only Americans" enjoy shooting games, despite the fact that <i><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-gears-of-war-2-110952.phtml" target="_blank">Gears of War</a></i> has a decent Japanese fanbase, and we claim that "only Japanese people" like big-eyed, floppy-haired roleplayers, despite the fact that tons of people have a boner for<i> <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/review-final-fantasy-xiii-167136.phtml" target="_blank">Final Fantasy</a></i>.</p>
<p>As different as we are, we may not be<i> that</i> different.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.next-gen.biz/news/arc-system-works-no-east-no-west-only-gamers">Arc System Works: No East, No West, Only Gamers</a> [Edge]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/191574-derp.jpg" alt="Arc sees no East/West divide, only 'gamers' screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=189915Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingNobody told me about Jeklynn Heights, now I'm telling you2010-12-18T10:00:00Z2010-12-18T10:00:00Z<p>I hadn't heard about&nbsp;<i><a href="https://www.jeklynnheights.com/" target="_blank">Jeklynn Heights</a></i>&nbsp;until I saw&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/12/18/and-now-a-tour-around-jeklynn-heights/" target="_blank">this post on Rock, Paper, Shotgun</a>&nbsp;this morning. We've never posted about this indie PC game on Destructoid, and I take that as a shameful failure, because it looks incredibly interesting.&nbsp;</p>
<p><i>Jeklynn Heights</i>&nbsp;is a "dark fairytale multiplayer game" that takes place in the eponymous town. It incorporates a wide variety of genres, including roleplaying, first-person and third-person combat. Two teams fight over the "Orb of Egression" which will allow them to escape the eponymous town. To help them, there are Ability Orbs that grant them new skills, and Sanity Posts that act as spawn points.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The game is offering a free beta signup right now, so you may want to check it out. The visual style is fantastic, and it seems like developer Vex Studios is aiming for a really unique game. I want to find out more!</p>
<p>Also, who doesn't love that name?</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/189915-header.jpg" alt="Nobody told me about Jeklynn Heights, now I'm telling you screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/nobody-told-me-about-jeklynn-heights-now-i-m-telling-you-189915.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=177965Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingSurvey: 64% of gamers prefer physical media2010-07-01T11:20:00Z2010-07-01T11:20:00Z<p>While publishers strives to push us into an all-digital market where it can control every aspect of the consumer experience, a new study from Ipsos MediaCT claims that 64% of consumers still prefer physical copies over downloadable alternatives.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Over 1,000 people were asked, and the results are being used as an indication that the pre-owned market is still a powerful force for the average gamer. Interestingly, 63% of those polled also preferred to get their news from papers as opposed to online, while the music and film industries had slowly lower results, with 45% and 50% respectively plugging for physical media.</p>
<p>"I believe the preference for physical discs amongst next-gen gamers reflects the potential value they derive from the pre-owned market, which is holding up the preference for physical - this is unlike the music and film markets," said MediaCT director, Ian Bramley.</p>
<p>With pre-owned games still doing very well, and with places like Walmart still remaining a huge and crucial part of the market, it's hardly surprising that there is a&nbsp;sizable&nbsp;demand for physical copies. There are a still a lot of people who like the illusion of "ownership" that comes with a tangible disc, and I think it'll be a long time before publishers can displace that mentality, as much as they'd love to have us all go digital by tomorrow morning.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=254121?cid=OTC-RSS&amp;attr=CVG-General-RSS">64% of gamers prefer physical copies - survey</a> [CVG]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/177965-header.jpg" alt="Survey: 64% of gamers prefer physical media screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=177121Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingXbox 360 slims shut down to prevent Red Ring of Death2010-06-21T10:40:00Z2010-06-21T10:40:00Z<p>It's become a common joke that the new Xbox 360 Slim prevents Red Rings of Death simply because Microsoft took the red lights out. However, it's been revealed that there is a <i>real </i>preventative measure built into the Slim, as opposed to a simple aesthetic avoidance of the issue. The new Xbox 360 SKU voluntarily shuts itself down if it's not ventilating properly, in a bid to avoid damage from overheating.</p>
<p>If the 360 detects that it isn't getting enough ventilation, it will give the player a warning message before entering shutdown mode, whereupon its power light will flash. The system can then be switched on again once the light ceases to flash. The idea is to increase the lifespan of the console by powering down before it gets too hot and suffers internal damage.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A smart idea in theory, but one wonders how annoying a 360 that shuts itself down will be, especially if Microsoft hasn't fixed the issue of overheating in the first place. Has Microsoft fixed the RRoD only to replace it with an even more embarrassing and widespread problem? We'll have to wait and see just how often this shutdown feature needs to kick in before we know for sure. I just have a bad feeling about this, given Microsoft's commitment to making terrible things happen.&nbsp;</p>
<p>[Via <a target="_blank" href="https://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=21970122#post21970122">NeoGAF</a>]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/177121-header.jpg" alt="Xbox 360 slims shut down to prevent Red Ring of Death screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=175998Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingMikami: Japanese RPGs were never really popular'2010-06-10T10:20:00Z2010-06-10T10:20:00Z<p>Many pundits like to wax philosophical about the decline of the Japanese game market, especially noting how JRPGs just aren't as popular as they used to be. <i>Resident Evil</i> creator Shinji Mikami, however, offers a more radical suggestion -- Japanese RPGs were never that hot to begin with!</p>
<p>"I think it is because Japanese RPGs were really never all that popular in the west to begin with," said the Capcom producer when asked about the decline of the genre. "I think the best way of interpreting things is that they aren't getting less popular; they weren't very popular from the start."</p>
<p>It sounds strange, but Mikami may have a point. Sure, <i>Final Fantasy </i>and<i> Dragon Quest</i> have always enjoyed huge success in America and Japan respectively, but they are only two games and not really indicative of an entire genre. Perhaps it's true that JRPGs were never big sellers, and we've retroactively decided they once were due to how much we played<i> Final Fantasy </i>back in the day. Definitely worth considering.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=250381?cid=OTC-RSS&amp;attr=CVG-General-RSS">Japanese RPGs 'were never really popular' - Mikami</a> [CVG]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/175998-header.jpg" alt="Mikami: Japanese RPGs were never really popular' screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=169989Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingShadow Hearts publisher getting back into videogames2010-04-05T19:30:00Z2010-04-05T19:30:00Z<p><i>Shadow Hearts</i> is one of my favorite RPG series, but unfortunately the general public didn't quite agree. At least, not enough of the public to stop developer Nautilus from falling apart and publisher Aruze from pulling out of the game industry. After many years away from the scene, however, Aruze is coming back. Sadly, it's not with a <i>Shadow Hearts</i> game.</p>
<p>It's some DS game that you don't care about,&nbsp;<i>Aoi Don: Hanabi no Kiwami &amp; Hanabi no Takumi. </i>Still, it would be cool to see Aruze get back into the game business full time, especially since it still holds the<i> Shadow Hearts</i> license. Now all we need is for Nautilus to magically come back from the dead.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.siliconera.com/2010/04/05/shadow-hearts-license-holder-making-games-again/">Shadow Hearts License Holder Making Games Again</a> [Siliconera]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/169989-header.jpg" alt="Shadow Hearts publisher getting back into videogames screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=164275Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingSony patents controller that works with Wii/Xbox 3602010-02-19T08:00:00Z2010-02-19T08:00:00Z<p>How curious. A patent has been dug up by Internet sleuths that suggests Sony may be working on a universal controller that would work with the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360<i> and</i> Wii. According to the patent, this controller would be a fully-fledged gaming device and would feature an LCD touch-screen displaying commands for the latest consoles.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A game console controller includes a hand-holdable housing and a touch sensitive liquid crystal display (LCD) on the housing. The LCD is caused to present, depending on what type of game console a user has selected, a controller key layout for a first type of game console or a controller key layout for a second type of game console. A key layout includes plural keys selectable by a user to input commands to a game console.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Of course, a patent is no guarantee that the idea has progressed beyond the theoretical stage, but it's still interesting to note. It would make sense from a business perspective, too. Sure, you are effectively producing peripherals for your rivals, but at the same time, those rivals won't be able to sell their own first-party accessories if you're providing a catch-all alternative with superior functionality ... in theory.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://gizmodo.com/5475428/rumor-sony-is-developing-a-universal-gaming-controller-for-use-with-xbox-and-nintendo-consoles">Rumor: Sony is Developing a Universal Gaming Controller For Use With Xbox and Nintendo Consoles</a> [Gizmodo via <a target="_blank" href="https://gorumors.com/playstation-universal-game-controller/275628">GoRumors</a>]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/164275-lcd.jpg" alt="Sony patents controller that works with Wii/Xbox 360 screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=162783Matthew Razakhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Matthew+RazakSaudis use videogames to reintegrate terrorists2010-02-07T05:00:00Z2010-02-07T05:00:00Z<p>Here's an interesting little fact that doesn't have that much to do with videogames, but just enough to be posted. Saudi Arabia <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7149635/Afghanistan-Hamid-Karzai-appeals-to-Saudi-King-to-mediate-with-Taliban.html">uses videogames</a> as part of its program to reintegrate terrorists in to society. It seems the exact specifics of the program isn't known, but a part of it is indeed gaming related. I'm guessing they don't play that much <i>Call of Duty</i>, but it does raise the question of what it is that they do play.</p>
<p>The U.S. doesn't seem to be too keen on this rehabilitation program, or with Afghanistan attempting to adopt it. They cite the fact that some of the participants involved in the program have actually returned to Al-Qaeda, one of which is reportedly a deputy Al-Qaeda in a cell in Yemen. However, one Saudi general defends the program, stating, "We are confident in our system. Part of that is the rehabilitation programme, and when we say that we are considering one thing -- the results we are getting. We are not giving up because a few people decided to go back and share Al-Qaeda activities."</p>
<p>I figure what happens is that they think they've learned to be plumbers from Mario. Then they try to climb down a pipe and become disenfranchised once again, causing them to return to a life of terrorist activities.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7149635/Afghanistan-Hamid-Karzai-appeals-to-Saudi-King-to-mediate-with-Taliban.html">Afghanistan: Hamid Karzai appeals to Saudi King to mediate with Taliban</a> [The Telegraph, via <a href="https://gamepolitics.com/2010/02/05/saudi-%E2%80%9Cde-terroristing%E2%80%9D-program-uses-videogames">GamePolitics</a>]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/162783-headshot1184344820.jpg" alt="Saudis use videogames to reintegrate terrorists screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=158944Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingWriter demands more realistic violence in videogames2009-12-28T17:30:00Z2009-12-28T17:30:00Z<p>While mainstream media outlets rally the braindead public against so-called "realistic" videogame violence, one comic book writer has gone in the opposite direction -- criticizing videogames for not being realistic <i>enough</i> with its more barbaric content. However, Landry Walker also notes that perhaps society is not ready for such games.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"I&rsquo;ve been shot at a couple of times," he explains. "...&nbsp;In each instance, the bullets missed. Lucky me. Because there were no handy first aid packs or carefully planted green herbs lying around waiting. If I had been shot, I expect it would have been amazingly unlike a video game. Assuming the bullet did not inflict irreparable harm to my body, the experience of actually being shot (let&rsquo;s assume a grazing strike to the shoulder) would have likely done irreparable harm to the cleanliness of my pants.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"...&nbsp;I don&rsquo;t want any of this out of some overbearing concern that we as a society are allowing ourselves to become numb to the grim realities of blah blah blah. Nope. I want a game that recreates that insane rush of endorphins and adrenaline or whatever it is after hearing a simple bullet crack past your ear. That&rsquo;s what games should be. So real that I just have to put down the controller for a minute because some part of my lizard brain is shaking in disbelief over the scenario I somehow managed to survive."</p>
<p>There are pros and cons to realism in games, of course. On the one hand a tense, hyper-realistic thrill ride would be potentially amazing. On the other, is real-life murder all that <i>fun</i>? Would it be enjoyable to get shot in the shoulder and then lose the use of your arm? Interesting, certainly, but a good laugh? It would take a lot of work and effort to effectively make that realistic a game. I'm certainly all for somebody attempting it, though.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://elder-geek.com/2009/12/landrys-rants-video-game-violence-what-do-gamers-really-want/">Video Game Violence: What Do Gamers Really Want?</a> [Elder Geek via <a target="_blank" href="https://gamepolitics.com/2009/12/28/more-realistic-violence-videogames">GamePolitics</a>]</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/158944-columbine.jpg" alt="Writer demands more realistic violence in videogames screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=157147Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingWhy do we use review scores?2009-12-09T16:00:00Z2009-12-09T16:00:00Z<p><sub>[<i>Editor's Note: We're not just a (rad) news site -- we also publish opinions/editorials from our community &amp; employees like this one, though be aware that it may not jive with the opinions of Destructoid as a whole, or how our moms raised us. Want to post your own article in response? Publish it now on our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/elephant/my_post_new.phtml">community blogs</a>.</i>]</sub></p>
<p>Reviews are among the most controversial elements of games media, and it's all thanks to one little number. In a review that will contain thousands upon thousands of characters, it's that one tiny figure -- the score right at the very end -- that can mean the difference between war and peace.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Whether the game is scored "too" high or "too" low, there is no denying that otherwise meaningless little numbers at the end of a review mean a great deal to a lot of people. Some argue that the numbers should be ignored, some that the numbers should be removed altogether from reviews. There is little doubt that they cause a lot of trouble and can even cause severe friction within a gaming community or the industry at large.&nbsp;</p>
<p>So, why do we still keep scores around? Destructoid is one of many outlets that use them, and one of many that have been asked to remove them and save us all a headache. Today I'd like to sidestep recent review controversies and focus on a more timeless argument -- the scores themselves, and the reasons why we still use them.&nbsp;</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/157147-scores.jpg" alt="Why do we use review scores? screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/why-do-we-use-review-scores--157147.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=154226Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingHeavy Rain's David Cage wants game industry to grow up2009-11-05T19:00:00Z2009-11-05T19:00:00Z<p>With its complex narrative and serial killer storyline, there's no denying that PS3-exclusive <a target="_blank" href="https://www.destructoid.com/preview-heavy-rain-133011.phtml"><i>Heavy Rain</i></a> will be a thoroughly adult affair. Developer Quantic Dream has no intention of marketing this game to kids, and boss David Cage wishes more studios would do the same, as well as provide experiences that aren't clear-cut "good vs. evil" scenarios.</p>
<p>"As an industry we make games for teenagers and kids," Cage tells <a target="_blank" href="https://ps3.nowgamer.com/news/1660/david-cage-games-are-made-for-teenagers">NowGamer</a>. "So we try to make things very casual and as clear as possible. The bad guys have to be very baaaaad and the hero has to have big muscles and look fantastic, and the women have to have big boobs and be very sexy because to a teenager, this is what women are.</p>
<p>"I think we&rsquo;ve passed that stage and we can go to the next one and say, &lsquo;You know what, you can be a very evil character, but it&rsquo;s not written on your face&rsquo;."</p>
<p>Interesting words indeed. <i>Heavy Rain</i>'s plot revolves around a series of murders carried out by the "Origami Killer," and I'll be interested to see how Quantic Dream portrays this evil character. As Cage says, we've had plenty of over-the-top evil villains in games, but rarely have we delved into the very real, very subtle world of serial murderers. I cannot wait to see how they pull it off.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/154226-heavyrain.jpg" alt="Heavy Rain's David Cage wants game industry to grow up screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=153582Jonathan Holmeshttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jonathan+HolmesEx-Dtoid editor has the touch, makes me want Epic Mickey2009-10-30T03:30:00Z2009-10-30T03:30:00Z<p><a href="https://www.destructoid.com/elephant/index.phtml?a=7603">David Houghton</a> is one of my favorite videomgame journalists; he's got an great analytical eye, and he knows how to express his excitement without coming off as insincere. It figures that he would be the one to make me interested in <i>Epic Mickey</i>.</p>
<p>Honestly, up until now the game was getting on my nerves. Making stuff "dark" just to try to keep up with the tastes of "mature" gamers is one of my big pet-peeves. Worse, making a game based on classic 2D cartoons with <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/epic-mickey-announced-with-disneyriffic-screens-153406.phtml">low-res, 3D character models</a> is a big no-no in my book. I mean, they could have at least cel-shaded the thing, right? Even relatively low budget Wii games like <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-review-de-blob-106293.phtml"><i>de Blob</i></a> look more like a Disney cartoon that <i>Epic Mickey</i> does.</p>
<p>Or at least, that's what I thought. Combine Houghton's knowledge-fueled enthusiasm and many new details about the game (the 2D platforming levels, its student game developer origins) and I'm inching back towards the hype train.</p>
<p>Video of the game in action really sealed the deal. So far, <i>Epic Mickey</i> actually looks like a classic Disney cartoon in videogame form, and by "classic" I mean 1940's era stuff, not the uninspired, sequel-itis crap the company's been putting out lately.</p>
<p>So am I alone on this, or do you too have some hope for <i>Epic Mickey</i>?</p>
<p>[via <a href="https://www.gamesradar.com/wii/disney-epic-mickey/preview/the-11-things-you-need-to-know-about-epic-mickey/a-200910291215659086/g-2009102811119630063">Gameradar UK</a>]</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/153582-manor.jpg" alt="Ex-Dtoid editor has the touch, makes me want Epic Mickey screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.destructoid.com/ex-dtoid-editor-has-the-touch-makes-me-want-epic-mickey-153582.phtml">Read more...</a>tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=152472Jonathan Holmeshttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jonathan+HolmesVisceral Games bummed about Dead Space Extraction sales2009-10-20T04:00:00Z2009-10-20T04:00:00Z<p>According to a NeoGAF post from a Visceral Games employee- &quot;It is a shame that no one bought this (<i>Dead Space Extraction)</i>. As much as everyone made fun of Frank Gibeau's 'experiment', it will actually influence the SKU plan with respect to the Wii&quot;. So I guess we'll be seeing less games like <i>DSE</i> on the Wii from here on out, but is that a bad thing? </p><p><i>Dead Space Extraction</i> is a <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/review-dead-space-extraction-150842.phtml">good game with a few fantastic moments</a>, but it's missing a lot of stuff that has proven to sell &quot;M&quot; rated games, on the Wii or otherwise. For example,<i> Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles</i> (which sold over a million copies) had a lot more content than <i>DSE</i>, despite being in the same genre. Likewise, <i>DSE</i> lacks the creative magnificence of <i>No More Heroes</i> (which sold well enough to get an <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/new-no-more-heroes-2-trailers-are-over-24-hours-old-149851.phtml">awesome looking sequel</a>), as well as the name recognition of the <i>Call of Duty </i>games (two of which sold<i> </i>over a mil on the Wii) and <i>Star Wars: The Force Unleashed</i> (which also is a Wii million seller).</p><p>So I say to EA, you're right, <i>don't</i> make more games like <i>DSE. </i>If you want people to buy a $50 game in this highly competitive market, make sure it's a creative masterpiece, over 12 hours long, and/or carries a big name brand. No more of this &quot;Our market research has shown that on-rails games are Wii friendly!&quot; crap. <i>Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles</i> has proven to be the exception, not the rule, when it comes to sales in that genre.</p><p>[via <a href="https://www.gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=100928">Gonintendo</a>] </p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/152472-Extractionboxart.jpg" alt="Visceral Games bummed about Dead Space Extraction sales screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=149304Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingBuddhist monk recommends games for treating aggression2009-09-21T07:00:00Z2009-09-21T07:00:00Z<p>Videogames often get criticized by out-of-touch old cranks for causing violence and encouraging aggressive behavior, so it's very interesting indeed to see that one man, who could rightly be regarded as an <i>expert </i>on serenity and anger-management, <a href="https://kotaku.com/5363596/buddhist-monk-games-satiate-my-desire-for-aggression" target="_blank">is recommending videogames</a> as a way to curb aggressive tendencies. </p><p>Trinley Dorje is more than just a Buddhist monk. The twenty-four-year-old man is the Karmapa Lama. That makes him the only Buddhist leader to be acknowledged by China, India and Tibet. So yeah, he's a pretty big deal and he knows his stuff when it comes to the Buddhist way of life. He's also a keen gamer, and believes that the so-called &quot;sick filth&quot; of interactive entertainment doesn't clash with his belief system.</p><p>&quot;I view videogames as something of an emotional therapy, a mundane level of emotional therapy for me,&quot; explains Dorje. &quot;We all have emotions whether we're Buddhist practitioners or not, all of us have emotions, happy emotions, sad emotions, displeased emotions and we need to figure out a way to deal with them when they arise. </p><p>&quot;So, for me sometimes it can be a relief, a kind of decompression to just play some videogames. If I'm having some negative thoughts or negative feelings, videogames are one way in which I can release that energy in the context of the illusion of the game. I feel better afterwards.</p> <p>&quot;The aggression that comes out in the video game satiates whatever desire I might have to express that feeling. For me, that's very skillful because when I do that I don't have to go and hit anyone over the head.&quot;</p><p>It's very refreshing to see such an open-minded take on videogames, especially from a spiritual leader. He's quite right, too. There's nothing like pumping virtual bullets into your friends to relieve tension and I must say, every time I score a headshot on<i> Killzone 2</i>, I feel one step closer to enlightenment.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/149304-monk.jpg" alt="Buddhist monk recommends games for treating aggression screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=146342Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingGay publication asks if games are getting gayer2009-08-27T17:00:00Z2009-08-27T17:00:00Z<p>Following on from the <i>Shadow Complex</i> debate, the question is being raised as to whether or not games are becoming more accepting of homosexuality and gay issues. Gay publication <a href="https://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid107493.asp" target="_blank">The Advocate</a> asks if games are getting gayer and decides that some steps forward are still needed, despite positive gains being made.</p><p>&quot;We still haven&rsquo;t seen the kind of normalization [of LGBT characters and story lines] that we&rsquo;ve seen in movies and on TV for some time. We still haven&rsquo;t had our <i>Brokeback Mountain</i> moment,&quot; argues Brenda Brathwaite. &quot;It took them a while, but developers ... eventually got hip to the fact that there are LGBT gamers out there who want to control LGBT characters ... The almighty dollar talks as much in this industry as it does in any other, and we all know the gay market is nothing to sneeze at in that regard ...</p><p>&quot;We also have to stop putting things into games that turn off gay players How many games have you played that put you in control of a male character and then asked you to save a princess?&quot;</p><p>Maxis game developer Jeb Havens, who happens to be gay himself, adds to the debate: &quot;[Developers are] moving away from the stereotype of the angry, homophobic teen boy ... toward a broader picture of who is buying and playing games... We&rsquo;re starting to see a willingness to experiment with stories and characters that would appeal to more diverse audiences.&quot;</p><p>I'd love to see more gay characters in games, provided they're not being gay for the sake of it. Characters that are inconsequentially gay would be brilliant, but I think it will be years before people accept gay elements in videogames without making a big deal out of it. Not even the aforementioned <i>Brokeback Mountain</i> has managed that yet.</p><p>Don't show me a gay love story, show me a love story that <i>just so happens</i> to be gay.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/146342-enchanted.jpg" alt="Gay publication asks if games are getting gayer screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
</p>
tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=143343Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingRhianna Pratchett: Cutscenes are still important2009-08-09T08:00:00Z2009-08-09T08:00:00Z<p>It's become very <i>en vogue</i> to rail against cutscenes, claiming they break the flow of gameplay and do the interactive medium a disservice, but at least one writer believes otherwise. Rhianna Pratchett, whose last writing credit was <i>Overlord II</i>, believes the noble cutscene <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4104/vital_game_narrative_a_.php" target="_blank">still has merit</a>, and should not be discarded so easily. </p><p>&quot;There&rsquo;s no denying that given the fan-base of games like the <i>Metal Gear Solid</i> and <i>Final Fantasy</i> series, many gamers enjoy cutscenes, even incredibly loquacious and lengthy ones,&quot; she explains. &quot;&ldquo;Whilst, personally, I&rsquo;d rather a game wasn&rsquo;t turned into a wannabe movie, I believe there&rsquo;s still a place for artfully crafted, well timed and smartly paced cutscenes. Granted, the games that manage to do all three are fairly rare.</p><p>&quot;Putting interactivity aside for a moment, there&rsquo;s still a lot we can do to improve our linear storytelling. There are exceptions (there always are) but our strength in this regard is by no means across the board. It is improving though, title by title. Cutscenes are still an important tool in our narrative toolbox, and we shouldn&rsquo;t throw out the hammer just because we keep hitting our thumb with it. We just have to learn how to wield it a little better.&quot;</p><p>I'm with Pratchett on this one. I don't think cutscenes diminish the so-called artistic value of the medium. It's just another tool, something that videogames can do potentially very well, and it doesn't diminish the game in any way if it borrows elements from other media to tell its story. Cutscenes are fine by me. How about you? </p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/143343-mgs4.jpg" alt="Rhianna Pratchett: Cutscenes are still important screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=143264Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingValve's learning sign language for Half-Life 2: Episode 32009-08-07T20:30:00Z2009-08-07T20:30:00Z<p>Valve's Gabe Newell has been moving his hands around in very fast, repetitive motions in a room full of people. By that, I of course mean that he's been <a href="https://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/07/valve-researching-sign-language-for-use-in-half-life-2-episode/" target="_blank">practicing sign language</a>, and is looking at how to implement it in videogames, most notably <i>Half-Life 2: Episode 3</i>. </p><p>Why is Gabe doing this? First of all, it's a bid to develop and improve animation in videogames. Secondly, it fits in with <i>Half-Life</i> heroine Alyx Vance's backstory. She knows sign language, and Valve wants her to pull it off convincingly.&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;[Alyx] had a crush on someone who was hearing impaired, so she taught Dog how to sign so she could practice,&quot; explains Newell. &quot;Something happened, maybe, the person is off fighting the Combine someplace else, but that's why she and Dog would start signing with each other when they wanted to communicate without making noise, or communicate without other people knowing ... It gave us the excuse to build the technology for signing.&quot;</p><p>This sounds like it'll be an incredibly ambitious undertaking for Valve's animators, especually given the nuances of sign language. It would be a very positive step forward for videogames, with potentially far-reaching implications, so I hope they pull it off. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np5KTAm7kac&amp;fmt=22" target="_blank">Check out a video of Gabe in action here</a>. Video credit and image belongs to Samuel Sandoval.</p> <p>
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=142594Joseph Lerayhttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Joseph+LerayEx-Midway Newcastle artist spills on studio's last weeks2009-08-04T21:00:00Z2009-08-04T21:00:00Z<p>In an attempt to stave off <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/midway-newcastle-two-weeks-to-find-a-buyer-or-lights-out-136439.phtml" target="_blank">impending closure</a>, Midway Newcastle spent its last month working on and, more importantly, <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/midway-newcastle-reveals-necessary-force-with-a-new-trailer-136601.phtml" target="_blank">pitching <i>Necessary Force</i></a> to potential buyers. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful, and the company <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/midway-newcastle-has-been-closed-update--139785.phtml" target="_blank">was closed on July 14</a>. Personally, I'm sad to see Midway go, especially since Necessary Force looked to have a fair amount of potential.</p><p>For a brief and emotive glance into Midway Newcastle's last few weeks, you should make it a point to check Steven Pick's <a href="https://pickassoreborn.vox.com/library/post/midway-newcastle-rip.html" target="_blank">personal account of the ordeal</a>. Before he was rather unceremoniously laid off, Pick was a GUI artist for Midway and helped put together some of the promotional artwork for Necessary Force, as well as working on the game itself. While a lot of the account is a very personal sketch of what it's like to be laid off, he also talks a fair bit about <i>Necessary Force</i>:</p><blockquote><p>I spent the time producing graphics and concepts for the cop's PDA unit, which would be an integral part of the evidence gathering and manipulation. We had a lot of nice ideas for the game - for instance, the morality system affected the weather and time of day too. If you were a bad-ass cop, the days would feel shorter, and it would rain more often. This was also linked to a system where the city would systematically be cleaned up - more desirable pedestrians, graffiti taken off walls and newer, more optimisitc buildings taking the place of the run-down buildings.</p></blockquote><p>Pick's piece is really interesting on a number of levels: as a gamer, it's too bad I won't get to play <i>Necessary Force</i>; as a blogger, it's interesting to note that northeastern England has just lost &quot;a third&quot; of its development community. </p><p>Most importantly, Pick humanizes the development process. Writers and fan alike are quick to excoriate mediocrity (and rightly so!), but we should all take some time to remember that real people with real emotions make these games -- reading <a href="https://pickassoreborn.vox.com/library/post/midway-newcastle-rip.html" target="_blank">Steven Pick's blog</a> would be a good place to start.</p><p>[Via <a href="https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/ex-midway-newcastle-employee-reveals-details-of-studios-closure" target="_blank">Gamesindustry.biz</a>] </p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/142594-forcehead.jpg" alt="Ex-Midway Newcastle artist spills on studio's last weeks screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=142559Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingObsidian: Not having sex in RPGs does genre 'an injustice'2009-08-04T11:00:00Z2009-08-04T11:00:00Z<p>We've been speaking with Chris Avellone, lead creative designer on the intriguing spy-themed RPG,<i> Alpha Protocol</i>. We've all heard by now that <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/e3-09-first-look-at-alpha-protocol-134631.phtml" target="_blank"><i>Alpha Protocol</i></a> will be following in BioWare's footsteps by providing us with <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/alpha-protocol-s-sex-scenes-are-satisfying-but-tasteful--141072.phtml" target="_blank">some &quot;tasteful&quot; sex scenes</a>, and naturally we wanted to dig a little deeper. We asked Avellone what he thought of the role sex plays in videogames, and whether the erotic elements are there just for the sake of being salacious. </p><p>&quot;I think it's an important step, and it's not sex for sex's sake, but it's part of human interaction that makes you more involved in the game world and your characters,&quot; he says. &quot;Just like in the real world, sex runs the range from entertainment to a symbol of the depth of feeling between two people, and not having that reflected in a role-playing experience feels does RPGs an injustice.&quot;</p><p>So, when will sex be allowed in a videogame without causing a media storm like we saw with <i>Mass Effect</i>?: &quot;I imagine TV's going to be the deciding factor here, not games. As soon as it's acceptable on mainstream TV, games won't be far behind. But that's my guess.&quot; </p><p>It's funny. People think that sex scenes are immature, but I've always found the media's reaction to these so-called &quot;tasteless&quot; scenes to be far more insolent and childish. The fact that society can't get over the idea of sex is indicative of just how infantile most &quot;adult&quot; people are, with the <i>Mass Effect</i> scandal proving just how much growing up America still needs to do. In any case, we have a full Alpha Protocol interview coming soon, so make sure you check it out! </p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/142559-alpha2.jpg" alt="Obsidian: Not having sex in RPGs does genre 'an injustice' screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=142557Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingObsidian: Story is important, but not that important2009-08-04T10:00:00Z2009-08-04T10:00:00Z<p>The subject of story in videogames is becoming more and more of an interest to me, so when I had a chance to speak with Chris Avellone, lead creative designer of Obsidian's upcoming spy RPG <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/e3-09-first-look-at-alpha-protocol-134631.phtml" target="_blank"><i>Alpha Protocol</i></a>, I had to ask what a studio famous for roleplaying games thought about the importance of narrative.</p><p>&quot;It's important. I don't think it's as important as systems design (which is moment-to-moment entertainment), or level design (which gives the systems a context), but the story is an important piece that gives systems and level a reason to exist, and helps to compel the player to move forward,&quot; explains Avellone. &quot;Don't get me wrong, I love narrative and character design, but I prefer to create story and character mechanics that are game systems rather than divorced from the systems or levels -- when the story is a mechanic, in terms of reactivity, perks, mission changes, and open/closing of hubs and endgame choices, I think that's the purpose of a game story.</p><p>&quot;In terms of improving stories for games, I feel that narrative designers should study writing conventions outside of games, both in scriptwriting and in other media, such as novels and graphic novels. In addition, a story should not be divorced from the actual gameplay, it should reinforce it, give it purpose, and when possible, work in tandem with a game's systems and themes. </p><p>&quot;When a story paralyzes a player (watch this cut scene, stop and read this book) or has to work to force itself onto the player with exposition, I think you start traveling down the dark road of cutting off immersion and turning a game into a passive experience, rather than an active one. Also, and to cue off a lecture from Ken Levine, I think much of a story or character can be told in a game level or in the environment itself, without a bunch of text or books littered around the game world.&quot;</p><p>What do you think? Does gameplay overrule story, and do you prefer interactive exposition instead of cutscenes? While you mull that over, stick around and wait for our full interview with Chris Avellone coming this week, where we'll discuss this and plenty more concerning <i>Alpha Protocol</i>.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/142557-alpha1.jpg" alt="Obsidian: Story is important, but not that important screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=141928Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingValve: Games don't have 'moral choices'2009-07-30T12:00:00Z2009-07-30T12:00:00Z<p>&quot;Moral choice&quot; is one of the hottest buzzterms used by game developers these days, with titles such as <i>BioShock</i> and <i>inFAMOUS</i> proudly boasting that their storylines feature complex narratives where actions have consequences. Despite the best attempts of recent videogames, however, these &quot;moral choices&quot; never quite seem to work as advertised. We asked Valve's Chet Faliszek why this might be, and he had an interesting answer -- he believes moral choices <i>can't</i> exist in a game. </p><p>&quot;There's never a real moral choice you're ever making in a game, because you're never going to have to <i>live</i> with that choice,&quot; he explains. &quot;We do things in our game to get you to behave better, to make you play together, to have this interaction in a game, but I don't think those are<i> moral </i>choices. I don't think games allow you to <i>make </i>moral choices. Games allow you to be evil, to do bad things. In <i>Grand Theft Auto</i>, I'm going around running people over, and guess what, I'm not doing that in real life. </p><p>&quot;So, in the context of games having moral choices, that's a weird thing to me. I don't think they have real moral choices when I think of that. They have something else, like strategic choices, choices inside their world, but to me a <i>moral </i>choice is something that would live outside of a game. I don't see that.&quot;</p><p>Chet makes a very valid point. Gamers are probably never going to be able to get past that obvious disconnection they feel between real life and a videogame to the point where they can truly be wracked with guilt over some moral dilemma. In fact, I'd say that the day a game truly succeeds in creating a real moral choice is a day where we've started to blur the line between reality and fiction ... and that wouldn't end well.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/141928-infamous.jpg" alt="Valve: Games don't have 'moral choices' screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=141540Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingObama in brief videogame reference SHOCKER!2009-07-27T17:40:00Z2009-07-27T17:40:00Z<p>You know, I'm all for criticizing those who attack videogames. Anti-game lobbyists are one of the core subjects I write about here at Destructoid. However, that doesn't mean that <i>every single person</i> who briefly mentions gaming as part of an overall point is somehow &quot;the enemy. Quite honestly, these constant stories about Barack Obama's passing references to gaming really are silly. </p><p>Obama has mentioned videogames maybe two or three times so far during his career, and each time the blogs and gamer communities whip themselves into an uproar, acting like Obama has made some baseless and terrible accusation at the hobby we love. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here's what he said the last time everyone claimed our President was scapegoating:</p><blockquote><i>&quot;We can't tell our kids to do well in school and then fail to support them when they get home. You can't just contract out parenting. For our kids to excel, we have to accept our responsibility to help them learn. <b>That means putting away the Xbox</b>. Putting our kids to bed at a reasonable hour. It means attending those parent-teacher conferences and reading to our children and helping them with their homework.&quot;</i></blockquote><p>Really, was<i> that </i>so awful? He never said games have no place in a child's life. He never said videogames are causing kids to be stupid and lazy. He said parents have a responsibility to make sure games consoles aren't acting like babysitters. I can tell he has no interest in videogames. The word &quot;Xbox&quot; could have been as interchangeable to him as &quot;television&quot; or &quot;computer.&quot;</p><p>It's annoying when games are thrown under the bus, and I admit that I get oversensitive to it now and then, after writing about this kind of nonsense for years, but Obama is the last person to get distressed over. </p><p>It reminds me of when Obama was inaugurated and a few blogs were trying desperately to make it relevant to videogames somehow, likely so they could siphon some sweet Presidential traffic. At the end of the day, however, videogames and President Obama have no relation. Not right now, and quite possibly never. I understand that writing about Obama and Michael Jackson is a great way to exploit Google Trends, but to keep looking for these piss-weak connections makes game Web sites look a little bit pathetic, and quite blatantly reaching.&nbsp;</p><p>A man briefly mentioned videogames. Hardly the end of the world.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/141540-obama.jpg" alt="Obama in brief videogame reference SHOCKER! screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=140575Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingHalpin: Gamers need to stick up for themselves2009-07-20T09:40:00Z2009-07-20T09:40:00Z<p>Entertainment Consumers Association president and all-round nice chap Hal Halpin has <a href="https://www.industrygamers.com/news/perception-is-everything/" target="_blank">penned his monthly column</a> for Industry Gamers, talking about the importance of perception and how the general public have been allowed to think of gamers. Claiming that gamers have been too inactive when it comes to combating negative stereotypes, he believes it's time we fought back. </p><p>&quot;Combating the negative stereotypes the gaming industry and gamers themselves face is becoming a daunting task,&quot; he argues. &quot;We&rsquo;ve allowed people to equate gaming with everything from laziness to isolationism and antisocial behavior, when so clearly it&rsquo;s the opposite. </p><p>&quot;Because we&rsquo;ve permitted everyone from anti-games advocates (disbarred attorneys included) to the President of the United States of America to perpetuate those fallacies and said and done nothing, we need to take ownership of at least part of that blame; until and unless we speak up and do something about it. It&rsquo;s time.&quot;</p><p>While I agree that there's a fair amount of inaction going on, I don't know how much more we lowly gamers can do. I think the onus is truly on the game industry to stand up for itself rather than wait for enthusiast press to fight its battles, like Geoff Keighley had to do during FOX News' pathetic <i>Mass Effect</i> slandering. Electronic Arts could have, and possibly<i> should</i> have, sued FOX for lying about <i>Mass Effect</i>'s sex scenes, but it just sat back and let mainstream media bite a chunk out of the gaming industry.&nbsp;</p><p>There are a lot of lies being told about videogames, and the industry is letting them happen. Game publishers are ruthless and merciless when it comes to destroying competition within the industry -- why do they act like wilting flowers when it comes to tackling opposition from without? </p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/140575-gamer.jpg" alt="Halpin: Gamers need to stick up for themselves screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=140241Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingPSPgo needs non-games, claims maker of non-games2009-07-17T15:40:00Z2009-07-17T15:40:00Z<p>With the PSPgo, it's very clear that Sony is planning to seriously compete when it comes to digital entertainment. In order to do this, iPhone App creator Russel Black <a href="https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sony-needs-to-learn-that-non-games-can-still-be-fun-black" target="_blank">has strongly advised</a> that Sony embrace the non-game, and claimed that the PSPgo doesn't always have to be &quot;fun&quot; to be a successful gadget. </p><p>&quot;The main thing that I think Sony could learn from what's happening already with the App Store is that applications don't have to be games in order to be fun,&quot; states Black. &quot;Even applications that aren't fun might help you get your work done more quickly, giving you more time for things that are fun.</p><p>&quot;If you look at what's popular in the App Store right now, you'll find things that you never would have expected, and more appearing every day. Even with the more game-focused audience that the PSPgo is likely to attract, I think that even Sony will be surprised at the kinds of things people want to use their 'games device' for, other than just playing games.&quot;&nbsp; </p><p>I would definitely be interested in seeing what kinds of cool apps the PSPgo might offer, but at the same time, I really don't want Sony to forget that the PlayStation Portable is, predominantly, supposed to be a game device. Sony forgot that when it tried to market its handheld as &quot;the walkman of the 21st century&quot; and ended up with a device that does a variety of tasks, but performs them nowhere near as good as more specific and optimized devices.&nbsp;</p><p>Non-games would be cool little extras for the PSPgo, but never at the expense of actual videogames. Oh, and let's<i> pleeeease</i> not have ten thousand clocks like DsiWare has. </p> <p>
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=139954Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingFlower dev: Games need real 'mature content'2009-07-15T16:20:00Z2009-07-15T16:20:00Z<p><i>Flower</i> and<i> Fl0w </i>developer Jenova Chen has been <a href="https://www.develop-online.net/news/32397/Games-need-more-grown-up-content" target="_blank">discussing mature content</a> at the Develop conference in Britain, claiming that videogames need much more of it. Of course, he's not referring to what we commonly think of as mature content -- favoring as he does emotionally engaging material as opposed to blood, guts and swearing. </p><p>&quot;I never see that sense of thrill any more in today&rsquo;s games,&quot; he explains. &quot;Yes, today&rsquo;s games are more real and satisfying but the underlining mechanics are no different from toys ... The human brain likes information -- it&rsquo;s like a sponge that sucks up information and wants more all the time. </p><p>&quot;Other pursuits are enjoyed by adults and not viewed as toys. As a grown up gamer I don&rsquo;t want to see the games I have been playing with love turn into toys. I think games need to have more mature content -- not like [<i>Dead of Alive</i>] or [<i>Manhunt</i>], but more sophisticated works. Games should make the player think and touch the gamer&rsquo;s emotion. Gameplay needs to be like any other medium &ndash; it has to evoke all kinds of responses. Otherwise our industry will flatline.&quot;</p><p>I hate it when developer claim that games &quot;should be&quot; anything but enjoyable. Games <i>can</i> be emotionally engaging and intellectually stimulating, but it's not that they <i>should</i> be, it's simply that we should have more of them to compliment those games that are more like &quot;toys.&quot; There is room for both in this industry, and to discount one type of game over another is wrong.&nbsp;</p><p>At the end of the day, a game can be as emotional and intelligent as it wants, but if it's not still fun at the same time, I couldn't give a crap.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/139954-flower.jpg" alt="Flower dev: Games need real 'mature content' screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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tag:https://www.destructoid.com/,2018:/post.phtml?pk=136911Jim Sterlinghttp://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Jim+SterlingA difficult subject2009-06-20T15:00:00Z2009-06-20T15:00:00Z<p>[<i>I had no idea that a <a href="https://www.destructoid.com/untapped-potential-stop-breaking-my-balls-136777.phtml" target="_blank">Cblog</a> on the subject of difficulty was written, or that it would get promoted. Now you get to read two articles on the same subject.</i>] </p><p>Difficulty in videogames is a subject that crops up often. Retro fans lament how games are getting easier and easier. Reviewers are often called out for &quot;sucking&quot; at a game if they mention any unforgiving elements or perceive an unfair challenge. It's difficult to tell where skill level ends and the game &quot;being cheap&quot; begins. Difficulty is, in and of itself, a difficult subject to tackle. It's also been weighing on my mind for a while. </p><p>There are difficult games that I enjoy playing, and difficult games that I do not enjoy playing. Sometimes it is because of the difficulty itself, or sometimes it's in spite of it. As I look back on the various games I've played and how their challenge levels enter into the enjoyment, I've been able to collect examples of what I call &quot;good&quot; difficulty and &quot;bad&quot; difficulty, and I've also been able to consider what it is about certain hard games that are so unappealing to me.</p><p>Read on as we examine what a game needs to do in order to adhere to the tradition of good difficulty, and how bad difficulty can ruin the experience.</p> <p>
<img src="http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/136911-ninja.jpg" alt="A difficult subject screenshot" width="620" border="0" />
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